Taking a break. Rest and elevate your foot. Avoid activities, even temporarily, that make your heel more painful.

Wearing the right shoes and socks. Wear good-fitting shoes that support your feet properly, cushion your heel, and are sized appropriately. The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine recommends socks made from synthetic fabric and wearing them when you try on and buy athletic shoes.

Stretching. Your doctor can recommend exercises and stretches to help your foot heal. This may include stretching your calf muscle and other specific stretches.

Taking anti-inflammatory medications. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), and aspirin are available over-the-counter or through a prescription.

Icing it. Use ice if recommended by your doctor.

Using shoe inserts. Your doctor may prescribe orthotics or other shoe inserts, such as a heel cup or arch support, to take pressure off your heel.

Trying different shoes. Try wearing open-backed shoes if your pain is very bad.

Massaging your foot. Generally, massage is not recommended for bursitis but avoiding the site of pain and massaging the surrounding areas of your arch or even as far up your legs as your calf, may be beneficial due to the benefit of increased circulation. Elevating your foot might also do this adequately.

Heel bursitis is common among athletes, especially runners. You may have to cut back on your training and other activity until your bursitis is no longer painful. As with the recommendations listed above, tips for athletes in particular include:

Make sure your athletic shoes give you proper support. Use a heel lift or other insert, if recommended.

Your heels and feet can be painful for many different reasons. Some common causes for heel pain are:

Plantar fasciitis. The tissue (fascia) connecting your heel bone to the base of your toes can become inflamed from running or jumping, causing severe pain at the heel bottom. The pain may be worse when you get up in the morning or after sitting for a long time.

Heel spur. This is a calcium deposit that can form where the fascia meets the heel bone. A 2015 review of heel pain estimated that about 10 percent of people have heel spurs, but most don’t have any pain.

Haglund’s deformity. This is a bump that forms on the back of your heel where your Achilles tendon is. It’s also known as "pump bump" because it can be caused by ill-fitting shoes that rub against your heel.

Achilles tendinopathy. This is a swelling and tenderness around your Achilles tendon. It can occur along with bursitis in your heel.

Sever’s disease. This can affect children in early puberty when the heel is still growing. Heel tendons may become tight and sports activities can put pressure on the heel, injuring it. The technical name for this is calcaneal apophysitis.

Trapped nerve. Most commonly known as a pinched nerve, this may cause pain, especially if it’s the result of an injury.

Your foot has only one natural bursa, located between your heel bone and Achilles tendon. This bursa reduces friction and protects your tendon from the pressure of your heel bone whenever you’re on your feet.

Bursitis in your heel is fairly common, especially among athletes. Most people get better in time with conservative treatment. Surgery is an option if your pain persists for more than six months.